Reporters Committee implements expanded New Child Leave Policy

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is excited to share that we’ve expanded our New Child Leave Policy to guarantee, through a variety of sources, 18 weeks of paid parental leave for all parents and offer up to 24 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents.

Previously, the Reporters Committee offered new parents eight weeks of paid leave, plus the flexibility to use other paid time off options, such as accrued sick or vacation time. Now, the Reporters Committee is proud to ensure that all full-time employees have access to 24 weeks of new child leave through a combination of paid and unpaid options.

The Reporters Committee recognizes that families come together in many different ways. As we updated this policy, it was important that we provide a birthing, adoptive, or foster parent with a paid leave benefit that could be combined with other leave programs and extended pay options.

Our months-long efforts to update this policy were inspired by the leadership of other organizations — like Poynter and The 19th* News — that recently announced expansive leave options for parents to bond with and care for a new child.

We are grateful for those who led the effort to establish this new policy — senior attorneys and members of the senior directors team, our human resources consultant, and the Reporters Committee Race, Equity and Inclusion working group — and to our steering committee, which approved its adoption.

We’re confident that this updated policy reflects the Reporters Committee’s organizational commitment to improving inclusion and work-life balance. If your nonprofit or newsroom is looking to update its Child Leave Policy and you would like to reference ours, please email comms@rcfp.org and we can share it with you.

The Reporters Committee regularly files friend-of-the-court briefs and its attorneys represent journalists and news organizations pro bono in court cases that involve First Amendment freedoms, the newsgathering rights of journalists and access to public information. Stay up-to-date on our work by signing up for our monthly newsletter and following us on Twitter or Instagram.